The Darlington Tigers got a pleasant surprise at football practice on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 14, the night before their homecoming game. Generations of Darlington Tigers were present. The team huddled for a pep talk, surrounded by men who had come before them and “played” in their shoes.
Darlington School’s Alumni Weekend, themed “A Return to Traditions,” saw the return of hundreds of alumni who acknowledged the special role Darlington had in each of their lives. Old classmates reminisced, remembering the sports that drew them together, provided them with irreplaceable memories and taught them life lessons.
“Football has always been a special part of Darlington, and in many ways it is the focal point of Alumni Weekend,” current Head Football Coach Tommy Atha said. Thus, in the spirit of tradition, past Darlington Tigers were invited onto the field to join this year’s team for practice.
Hollis Reese and Rick Cromartie (‘78) came out to support the Tigers and reflected on their last season playing for the team as they tossed a football on the field that used to be their own.
“Nineteen seventy-seven was a great year for us,” Reese, a Rome resident and pilot for Northwest Airlines, said. “Going into the playoffs we only had two losses against Carrolton and East Rome.”
According to Reese, the playoffs were certain to be thrilling as Carrolton and Darlington met again. “I remember that game well,” he said. “Whenever our Coach Davidson met with Carrolton’s Coach Gresham, it was always exciting. We didn’t win that game, but it was close, and we were very satisfied with how our season had gone. I have great memories as a Darlington football player, and I am happy to continue to support the Tigers.”
Another topic of conversation among the veteran football players was the much-improved condition of the School. “The Huffman Center is a big step forward from the concrete floors and walls that we used to call our gym,” Cromartie said. “The School looks so great now that it is hard to image what it was like when we played. Looking back, it’s amazing how antiquated things used to be. Thankfully Darlington continues to improve each year.”
Roger Sheppard (‘72) remembered how the Tigers used to light the football field with car headlights for evening practice. According to Sheppard, in those years Darlington didn’t put as much emphasis on sports as they do now; however, the School was continually progressing athletically.
Sheppard, a resident of Rome and Fed-Ex pilot, flew F-14’s in the Navy after graduating from Darlington and said his time as a tailback for the Tiger’s prepared him well for the future and left him with lifelong friends and memories.
Former Darlington tennis player Dr. Britta Stern (’94) returned for Alumni Weekend from Haan, Germany, with her mother, Roswitha Bohl Stern. Now completing her Internal Medicine Residency in Haan, Stern won the State Singles Championship in ’93.
According to Stern, Darlington’s emphasis on sports seemed unusual because German schools do not place much importance on their athletic programs. “Playing tennis developed my personality and allowed to me experience the athletic side of Darlington,” she said.
Stern experienced success not only on the tennis court, but in the classroom as well. “My whole experience at Darlington was very beneficial for me,” she said. “I would not be where I am today without the many important lessons that I learned while at Darlington.”
Stephanie Smith Walker and her sister Kathleen Smith Hughes, representing the classes of ‘83 and ‘84, respectively, recalled their days as cheerleaders for the Tigers.
“The cheerleading program instilled self-confidence in me and prepared my sister and I for what we’d encounter in the future,” Walker, a Rome resident and graduate of the University of Georgia, said. Walker’s children. Fowler and Stevenson, are currently enrolled at the Lower School, and she is certain they will benefit from the School just as she did.
Frank Moore (‘54) traveled with his wife from his home is Washington, D.C., to attend the Alumni Weekend festivities. Like his fellow alumni, Moore spoke fondly of his time at Darlington. A member of the track team, he remembered the one-mile relay record that he and three others established in ‘54. The record remained unbreakable for 31 years.
“That day was unforgettable,” Moore recalled. “I will never forget the friends I made and the time I spent running for Darlington, especially when we broke the record.”
Whether the sport involved running or cheering, Darlington’s alumni made the most of their opportunities, establishing life-long memories in the process. Alumni Weekend allowed these former Darlington athletes to celebrate the past and the future, recognizing that the Darlington School tradition continues.
*Written by Eric Molletta, public relations intern from Shorter College
